Ju Wang
Ju Liao is the heir of the Liao clan and the female protagonist of the Tea Leaves series. She became clan leader after her father's death. Appearance and Personality Appearance Through the first two seasons of the Tea Leaves series, Ju had long black hair which sometimes she wore in pigtails. In Tea Leaves and Green Jade, she cut her hair to her lobes. By Tea Leaves and Red Silk, her hair came down to her shoulders. When she was twelve, Ju described herself skinny and flat-chested. In match nine of Tea Leaves and White Pearls, she reveals that she is curvy with breasts that are a full C-cup, almost a D. Ju also has a small dark brown mole under her right breast, just like her mother. Ju always wore traditional Chinese clothes around the main Liao House. At school and outside, she either wore her school uniform or western-style clothes. Personality Ju is usually a level-headed girl. She pretty much has to the provider/judge/police/straight man/glue given the position that she was born into. Ju has a more realistic view on life, but she is much laid-back when she's not having to work. Lately however, she seems to be losing her grip on herself. Backstory Ju was born on April fifteenth, 1994 at three in morning. Her mother died when she was only four years old. In fact, the only thing that Ju remembers about her mother is a lady sick in bed. Because her mother was too ill to care for her daughter, the clan's nurse, Bik, raised the baby with her own sons. Up until she turned sixteen, Ju was raised by her father. During the first day of junior high, Ju met Tina Rackley. The American girl declared them as friends and stalked her until the heir agreed. Khai tried to break them up by preventing Tina from talking to his daughter on the phone on the first day of summer during their freshman year of high school. Later, Ju explained that her father didn't like foreigners. It took Bik and Hen-to Chang to convince Khai to let the two girls stay friends. Bik asked Tina to stay friends with Ju. In 2006, Ju meets Stefan Peeters and is smitten. At first, she didn't know how to talk to him because of lack of causal socials skills. Thanks to Tina, she is able to talk to him for the first time after school. The next day, Stefan asks her to show her around Beijing on a date. Ju had to lie to her father as she was getting ready on that Saturday. Mei Qin even helped her get ready. Ju and Stefan meet up in Qingtianhe Park and eventually start to date. Storyline History Tea Leaves and Gold Pins Ju is first celebrating her father's funeral, however she doesn't really feel anything for him because they were not that close. She just wanted to get back to her life. Ju inherited the Liao clan, but couldn't have any real power until she turned eighteen. At the time, she was the figurehead while her father's advisers, Hen-to and Fei, made the important decisions. Back at school, her friends, Tina and Qun, try to comfort her. Li-ya and her posse mocked Ju, but she didn't take the bait. After school, she checked her Facebook in the computer lab and talked to Bik on the phone in her dorm. Later, Ju celebrates her first birthday without her father. She sits at the head of the table and found it weird. Ju first meets with Yao for the first time for a meeting. He needed to sign some papers. Ju thought that the first meeting went well, though she couldn't understand why Bik and Cai were smiling at her earlier. She, the females of the clan, Tina, Xin, and Qun head to Gulangyu Island as part of her birthday weekend. A few days later, Ju and Yao meet again to get decorations and supplies for Kiku's welcome home party. After the party, she, Hen-to, and Fei were cleaning out old storage files when she came across a single blue folder in the storage room. When Ju asked about, Fei panicked and got Ju out of there as fast he could. Later, Ju overheard him and Hen-to talking about a file that got two of her father's translator's killed. In the summer, Ju meets with Yao and another potential business partner for lunch to discuss who would partner up with her. She said that she would need time so that she could complete her final exams. Still curious about the file, Ju found it and started reading it. Fei freaked out when she ran reading the article and tried to take it out of her hand. Once he calmed down, he told her the history of the article. After her exams, Ju starts having strange dreams about being crushed in the darkness. Later, Ju choses Ju as her business partner. Despite her confidence in her choice, she couldn't get rid of the sinking feeling in her gut. Ju and Yao go out to an abandoned building to expand their business. She mentioned her dreams and the file and Yao panicked, telling her to forget about her questions. After the tour of the building, Ju sees a blackened little girl outside of the taxi window. Freaking out, she kissed Yao for the first time. When she got home, Ju wondered why she did that. Tea Leaves and White Pearls Ju turns eighteen and spends her birthday out a club/restaurant with the ladies of the clan and her friends. She has a great time until she spends Yao in the same restaurant. They encounter each other in the hallway to the bathroom. Ju and Yao briefly speak before they starting kissing. The whole time, she pleaded with him in her head to love her. When he broke away, Ju was left in a confusing place. She turned to Bik for help on what to do. Later, Yao and Ju are alone together wrapping gifts for a business wedding at their new business. It fells awkward at first, but once they start talking, one thing leads to another and Yao takes her virginity. From that night, they become lovers. Despite this, Ju finds herself caught in confusion about the state of their new found relationship. Yao and Bik didn't seem to help her. Still, Ju had school and she was in her senior year. During her exams, she ended up drawing a picture of a blackened girl on her cover sheet and creeping herself out. Ju does pass and goes off to university. Tea Leaves and Green Jade Ju comes home for winter break. To everyone's shock, she cut her hair. Bik complained about the change because she loved her leader's long pigtails. Her uncle, Jianjun, learned that Khai had died two years ago. She also started to remember an old boyfriend that she had in junior high. In October on her campus, Ju met a strange man. In a brief conversation, the man told her that she was the Lovers card in the tarot and that she had to know her role in the wasteland. Ju got annoyed and threatened to call the cops, but he told her to stop the cycle before it claimed everyone. Back at home, she looked at the data on a box that man handed her. The video file she saw ended up disturbing her and pushing her down a rabbit hole of madness. Afterwards, she gets a phone call from her first love, Stefan. It appears that he wants to reconnect with her. However, Ju is still in turmoil over her relationship with Yao. She loves him, but feels that something in herself is dying the closer they get. Those problems get pushed aside when Ju learns that there is some money missing from the clan's funds. Fei, Yao, and Hen-to suspect that Jianjun is behind this. Things get worse when Szu is raped by an unknown assailant. It didn't help that Stefan comes by her house, hoping to resume their past relationship. It all comes crashing in when Yao shows up as well. Tea Leaves and Red Silk Ju proposed to Yao in bed on her birthday. At first, Yao was hesitant due to her age and the circumstances of this proposal, but he agrees. Before that, Ju and Yao got into an argument about Stefan, leaving their relationship strained. Later on, Ju tries on her mother's wedding dress with BIk. Hen-to comes into the room and tells her that he still loves her mother. Ju gets a phone call about where the clan'd missing money went. Through the whole season, Ju is caught up in personal drama with Szu's rape and the clan's missing money. In fact on the night Szu's was raped, Yao came over to Ju's house and seduced her into a kinky game. After passionate lovemaking, Ju realized that she had gone sexually numb. Still, she would lay there and let Yao make love to her. After he would go to sleep, Ju would sneak out of bed and masturbate in order to make herself feel something. When that didn't work, she tried to whip herself with a dish towel. Yao stopped her and pulled her into his arms. In present day, Ju notices a weird stain on her wall and remembered that it got there after she threw a cup of tea at the wall in the argument with Yao. Ju later talked to Bik about her problem and the nurse scheduled an appointment for it. That night, Ju and Yao start to make love when she asks him to hit her. When he refused, she broke down and ran out of her room. After masturbating under a tree, Yao slaps her and makes love to her. After the climax, she notices that the tree has arms covered in blood sticking out of it. Things take a turn for the worse when Qian turns to a shady friend to find Szu's rapist. The consequences lead the police back to the Liao clan. When Ju figured it out, she slapped Qian and Jianjun came over at a bad time. However takes to Ivan, she and Yao are able to take down Szu's rapist, Junjie Zhong, by revealing to his father that his wife cheated on him with his rival. Ju and Yao later schedule their wedding on the eighth of July. During the rehearsal dinner, Ju observes some of the guests, particularly Kiku and Ivan. On the day of the wedding, Bik and Cai help Ju get dressed in her mother's wedding dress. During the whole time, she is still uneasy. The bride-to-be asks to be alone for a little while. Alone in her thought, Ju ponders her ease and in her mind, says farewell to her younger self before getting into a taxi cab and heading to the courthouse. In a surreal vision of her being executed by hanging in her mother's wedding dress, Ju and Yao marry in the courthouse in front of their witnesses. Afterwards, Ju finds herself much calmer and happier than she was during her relationship with Yao. During the reception, she wonders what will happen next. Tea Leaves and Silver Rings Ju is making lunch for herself and Yao when Yao comes in and starting hitting on her. She caves in at first, but then gets suspicious. When she asks what her husband is up to, Yao takes her into the living room and tells her about his deal with Ivan to bring Junjie to justice. After learning that he gave the Russian man Wang Jia Long and Lin Yi, she walks back to the kitchen hurt and upset. Later, Ju reflexes on her honeymoon with Yao. The whole thing they made love, she felt like he was keeping her grounded as she tried to fly away in her mind. She still is conflicted as he goes down on her. Towards the end, she accepts the state of their relationship and is finally at peace with herself. Back in present day, Szu comes by Ju's room and tells her why Yao made that deal with Ivan. If he hadn't, the young girl would be dead. When the younger girl explains that he stopped her from committing suicide and the whole story, Ju runs out and hugs Yao wildly, thanking him. Later, Yao confronts Ju about Stefan calling her when she got out of the shower. They argue with her claiming that she doesn't know what her old flame wants. Later on Ju goes out to meet with Stefan in a local cafe. Stefan confesses that he still loves her and he wants her to come back to Belgium with her. She politely turns him down, saying that she can't leave her clan or Yao. Stefan accepts and leaves, muttering about going back to his wife and kids. Relationships Yao Wang Main Article: Ju Liao and Yao Wang Liao Clan Main Article: Liao Clan The Liao clan is pretty much the only family Ju has left. The five families have all been there for her. Bik raised her like her own daughter since birth. The children of the clan are like her brothers and sisters. Hen-to and Fei are her closest advisers. The clan all looks up to her and she takes comfort in the fact that she would do anything for their well-being, even at the expense of herself. Tina Rackley Main Article: Tina Rackley Ju and Tina are good friends. In fact, Tina was the first friend outside of the clan that she ever had. The American is a bit on the wild side, but she means well to her Chinese friend. Initially, Ju was a little confused and put off by Tina because this was the first time she had seen a foreigner in her life. On their first day of junior high, the American girl introduced herself and declared them friends. Tina stalked Ju around the school until the Ju broke down and became friend with her. Business Partners For the most part, Ju has a professional relationship with most of her business partners of the Liao clan. It helps that most of them were on good terms with Khai. Khai Liao Ju and Khai constantly fought when he was alive. He tried to raise her in a strict environment as his heir. Day and night was spent on lessons on leadership skills, negotiation, writing, manners, eating, and how to walk properly. Khai wouldn't even let her wear western-style clothing when she came home for the summer. After his death, Ju found herself with mixed feelings about not having what she called her sparring partner anymore. Jianjun Kim Main Article: Jianjun Kim Jianjun is Ju's uncle. She was taught that he can't be trusted because he is a con man. Because of this, they aren't close and she doesn't trust him. Stefan Peeters Main Article: Stefan Peeters Stefan is an old boyfriend of Ju's during junior high. They broke up because of her father. He didn't want mixed blood in his clan. Years later, Stefan has come back from Belgium, looking for a chance to rekindle his relationship with Yao. Trivia * Ju's favorite book is Lady Chatterley's Lover. She sees herself as Constance, Yao as Oliver, and her clan as Clifford. * Ju's name means "chrysanthemum" in Chinese. * Yao and Ju's wedding is first mentioned in part five of the Wasteland 2011 poem titled "Long Night's Journey into Day II"'s section five. Category:Tea Leaves Characters Category:Female Characters Category:Protagonists Category:Human Category:Liao Clan Category:Characters